The One Where They All Get Over It
by Exintaris
Summary: Phoebe has summoned the others, all scattered now, to Central Perk to tell them something important. What has led them to separate, especially Chandler and Monica? What is Phoebe's news? Read, and you will find out.
1. Phoebe

The One Where They All Get Over It

Author's Note: Yes, I'm back, after too long away (though I have been reading and reviewing). I have been contemplating this one for a while, and now finally commit myself. This is just a short and I hope appetite-whetting introduction.

WARNING: As anyone who has read much of my work will know, I specialise in unorthodox couplings of the Friends, though I have produced versions of the ones established in the show (and most favoured by fanfic writers), Ch&Mo (once) and Ro&Ra. But this does _not_ feature these or any other couplings of two Friends favoured by some fanfic writers, including myself (e.g. Jo&Ra, Ch&Ra, Mo&Ra, Ch&Jo), nor will it involve Ph&Mi or any f/f relationships. It is dedicated to any Friends enthusiasts who may have felt doubts from time to time about whether Ch&Mo and Ro&Ra (or any other couplings within the group) could last in the long or even the short term.

The time when it begins should be equivalent to somewhere in Series 8, but the story is strongly AU, in that characters appear and events happen before they do in the show.

Disclaimer: The Friends characters do not belong to me, but to Bright, Kauffman and Crane Productions and Warner Bros. Their use is not intended for profit, only for entertainment.

Chapter 1: Phoebe

Phoebe sat alone at a table in Central Perk, frowning disapprovingly at the loudly chattering group who occupied the couch and armchairs. That had been her and her friends in happier times. How close they had been! She still had friends, of course, but not like them. Her attempts to create a group to replace them, with a common meeting place where they would show up regularly, had not been successful, not least because her friends did not always take to each other. No, the relationship that she had been part of, with Joey, Monica, Ross, Rachel and Chandler had been unique. Maybe her onetime boyfriend Roger the shrink had been right when he described them as co-dependent, though wasn't that sort of how friends were supposed to be? And that had come out during his childishly bad-tempered reaction to being rejected by the others, so she was not sure that it was worth anything. To her the important thing was that they had supported each other and held together, despite occasional fights, Monica's constant freakiness of various kinds, and the repeated tensions between Ross and Rachel, for a very long time – longer than most of her friendships had kept going, if the truth were told.

She sighed again, as she always did when memories of how the group had broken up returned. You would have thought that, if they had got through Ross and Rachel's big fat breakup, the Emily business, and the Vegas marriage, not to mention Chandler's problems over Janice and Kathy and Richard's renewed play for Monica, they could survive anything. But, the way she saw it, the trouble had begun with Ross and Rachel. Their refusal to see that they were lobsters, but inability or unwillingness to let go and move on from each other properly had been a continual source of frustration – though she had to admit, if one had really moved on, that one might well have left the group.

She wondered how many of them would show today; she had sent messages to everyone, saying she had something important to tell them and making it quite clear that all the others were being invited too. Surely enough time had passed by now for Ross to have got over it, and also Chandler, though there had been great bitterness there. She felt sure that Monica and Rachel were likely to come; Phoebe had kept in touch with both of them, and knew that they still met often, though she saw them only rarely. Sometimes she speculated, rather mischievously, whether they would not have made a good couple; they had certainly both shown real unhappiness when Rachel moved out. But when Chandler in turn moved out of Monica's apartment Rachel had not moved back in, nor had she taken over Chandler and Joey's old apartment when Joey left it, unable to afford the rent on his own. It was like she had acknowledged that that phase of her life was over.

She sighed yet again, when thinking of Joey. She missed him; he had been more of a brother to her than Frank Jr. would ever be. She really hoped he would show, but you could never tell when he was going to be in town. His agent had thought it likely, so she had hopes.

"Something the matter, Phoebe?" said Gunther, appearing suddenly by her side. "You look sad."

She turned to smile at him. At least he was still there; she wondered if he would ever leave Central Perk.

"I was just thinking of old times," she said, "and feeling sad about how we broke up. But then, I'm hoping to get them all together again – I have something to tell them – and that shouldn't be sad."

Gunther's eyes lit up. "You mean, Rachel will be coming?"

Phoebe knew, if no one else did, that Gunther had a permanent crush on Rachel. "I hope so," she said. "She and Monica and I are still on pretty good terms. Whether Ross or Chandler show" – she shrugged – "that's another matter."

He nodded, but plainly didn't care much. "What about Joey?"

"I'm sure he'll come, if he's in town," said Phoebe.

Gunther grinned. "If I'd known, I'd have told you to promise complimentary coffee and cookies – that would have brought him running."

Phoebe snickered. "Yeah. Well, do we get them anyway?"

Gunther smiled warmly. "Of course. I liked having you guys around, you know, even though Rachel was the world's laziest waitress and Joey spent all his time trying to charm any hot female customers." Then his expression turned more serious. "What went wrong, anyway?"

Phoebe drew a breath. "It's a long story. It all began with that business over Rachel's sister Jill …"


	2. Ross and Rachel, rachel and Ross

Author's Note: Okay, here we go at last …

I have not set stories in the later seasons of Friends very often, because the show's writers display a growing tendency to present the characters as crude caricatures of their earlier selves, and also to include material that directly contradicts what we thought we knew previously. So some of the material in the show which displays these features will simply be ignored; it "didn't happen". Everything up to Chandler and Monica's engagement can be taken as having happened, more or less, but from then on we get into AU territory, as you will see.

-----

Chapter 2: Ross and Rachel, Rachel and Ross … 

"Jill wasn't around for very long, I remember," said Gunther, "and she seemed mad when she left. Clearly it involved Rachel and Ross, so what was that about?"

"Well I wasn't there at the end," Phoebe began, "but the way I heard it, Jill went on a date with Ross, and it freaked Rachel out so much that she asked Ross to stop seeing her. Jill found this out and to get back at Rachel she conned her way into Ross's room and started kissing him."

Gunther said nothing, merely gave a derisive snort.

Ignoring this, Phoebe continued, "Ross showed up later and told us this, and Rachel was getting all steamed up about it, but then he said he had stopped it, and why. He said he started thinking, he didn't know whether anything could ever happen again between him and Rachel, but he didn't want to know it never could. Well, that, like, stopped Rachel dead in her tracks. Monica said she was, like, stunned, and she even thanked Ross. But of course, being Rachel, she couldn't leave it there, and the very next chance she got she dragged Monica and me into a conference …"

-----

"Do you think Ross is still in love with me?" Rachel said rather urgently. She did not sound exactly thrilled by the idea, Phoebe thought. "Because I thought he'd got over me," Rachel continued, "but he wouldn't have talked like that if he didn't have real feelings for me, would he? I don't think he would," she answered her own question. "So … what d'you think I should do?"

"It was certainly rather … telling," Monica said slowly.

"Of course he's in love with you," said Phoebe firmly. "You guys are destined to be together." She still wanted to believe that they were lobsters, despite all the evidence that seemed to point the other way.

"But, Pheebs, the problem is, I don't think I'm ready for that any more," Rachel protested. "I think I am over Ross."

Phoebe looked sceptical. "Not so long ago, you were very upset when I said, there might be a spark between him and Jill."

"Yeah, but that was because she's my _sister_," Rachel said fiercely. "It wouldn't have been right for her to get him. Believe me, I know: she wouldn't have suited him at all."

Phoebe rolled her eyes incredulously at Monica, who grinned and shook her head.

"We've been through this before," said Phoebe, "when he went off to marry Emily. You thought you were over him then, until you realised you weren't."

"But that all blew over, and then later, when I had a chance to get back with him, after our Vegas marriage, I found I didn't want to," Rachel countered. "Oh yeah, I know, I still feel uneasy when he has a date, but it's not like I felt with Bonnie and Emily. It'll pass, in time. What I need is some other guy to distract me."

"Well," said Monica, "I think the best thing you can do is talk to him and see what his feelings really are."

"Yeah," said Rachel. "I guess that's what I'll have to do."

-----

"And so she did," Phoebe said to Gunther, "but she told us that Ross claimed he didn't have any special feelings for her. And then … do you remember Elizabeth?"

"Yeah," said Gunther, smiling. "She was cute."

"Uh-huh," said Phoebe, "but she was far too young for Ross. I mean, she was just a kid. Anyway, that all came to an end right about the time that Chandler and Monica got engaged. And who do you think Monica found K-I-S-S-I-N-G in the hall outside, that very night?"

"Ross and Rachel," Gunther guessed. "And how did that come about?"

"Well, they got to talking about the past, and Rachel brought up this idea of a bonus night – you know, when two people have broken up but they have a last night of sex. That seems to have started them making out."

Gunther looked pained. "People do that? Sounds pretty immoral, and asking for trouble."

Phoebe let this go. "Well, Monica was _furious_. She said they had stolen her thunder, because we were all, like, excited about them getting back together, and the evening was meant to be about her … and Chandler," she added as something of an afterthought. "But anyway, there was a lot of rushing around and fights and stuff, and in the end they never had a bonus night, at least not then."

"But later?" Gunther prompted, frowning. He had not picked up any of this from his observations of the group.

Phoebe nodded. "How it happened ... Naturally we had lots and lots of wedding stuff, with Monica freaking out more and more every day, and to do her justice there was plenty to freak out about. Turned out, her parents had spent any money they might have saved for her wedding. But Chandler was able to come to the rescue; he had a lot saved up. Then, of course, he and Monica had to fight over how much to spend on the wedding, but in the end they both said sorry and agreed to compromise. Anyway, this was all, like, having an effect on Ross and Rachel …"

-----

Ross, Rachel and Phoebe were sitting together in Central Perk, where they had fled because even Rachel had had enough of Monica's obsessiveness over her wedding plans.

"Y'know, when Monica gets like this, I start wondering why I'm still friends with her," Phoebe said rather wearily. "You'd think no one ever got married before."

"Yeah, we didn't make nearly so much fuss, did we, Ross?" said Rachel rather mischievously.

Startled, because this was an episode Phoebe thought both of them would want to forget, she looked at Rachel, to see her smiling at Ross in a teasing way, without a hint of malice.

Ross took it in a similar spirit. "Nope," he said, grinning back. "My memory is sorta hazy, but we just went right out and did it, didn't we?"

"Yeah," said Rachel, with a look of reminiscence about her. "I don't remember much either, but of course we were both drunk as skunks." She snickered. "I remember calling you Mr. Green when you called me Mrs. Geller." She gave a little sigh. "What dumbass fools we must have looked."

For a moment she seemed melancholy; then she brightened. "Hey, Ross, why don't we go out and get a drink or two, right now?" she said. "Like a wake, sort of."

"A wake for what?" Ross said, looking a little puzzled.

"Our feelings for each other," Rachel said simply. "I mean, you don't have any feelings left for me, right? Because I don't for you, aside from friendship – I still look on you as my good friend Ross." She smiled at him in a way that could never be mistaken for love.

"Oh no no no, I'm, uh, I'm completely over you," said Ross hastily. To Phoebe's practised ear he did not sound very convincing. "Well, well, a drink would be nice," he went on.

Phoebe felt that things were taking a dangerous turn. "You guys should be careful," she said. "You've just been talking about what happened the last time you got drunk together."

"Who said anything about getting drunk?" said Rachel indignantly. "Things were entirely different then, Phoebe. No, we can be together safely, can't we, Ross? We'll just have a drink or two and wrap up our feelings about the past." She smiled at him again.

"Oh, sure," said Ross, looking rather pleased.

"I don't like it," said Phoebe. "I'm coming along."

Rachel fixed her with the nearest she could produce to a death stare. "No, you aren't, Phoebe," she said. "This, this is _private_ – just us two. C'mon, Ross."

Phoebe knew when she was not wanted. She had considerable qualms about it, but decided to hope for the best. "Have fun, and don't stay out too late," she called after them.

-----

"So, did they get drunk?" Gunther asked, returning after having cleared a table or two and served a customer.

"I don't think so, not really," said Phoebe, "but they did move on to having a bonus night. When Joey showed up for breakfast at Monica and Chandler's next day, he said Rachel hadn't come home, and I was wondering whether to tell what I knew, when here she comes, looking very pleased with herself …"

-----

Rachel struck a pose in the doorway. "Hi, guys," she said very cheerfully.

"Where have you been?" Monica demanded, sounding a bit mad. "Joey says you were out all night, but I didn't think you had a date. I thought you were with Phoebe and Ross."

Rachel's expression turned to a definite smirk. "Well, where I wound up – Ross and me, we had our bonus night after all." She giggled. "And what a night! The best end to a relationship I ever had."

"You slept with Ross?" Monica cried, sounding shocked. Chandler and Joey also looked very surprised.

"Well, there wasn't much sleeping going on," Rachel said, patting her hair and looking smug. "I gotta say, Ross still has it in him. But he's asleep now. I thought I'd let him rest."

"What the hell did you think you were _doing_?" Monica cried, now definitely mad. She rounded on Phoebe accusingly. "Did you know about this?"

"They were going to have a drink together, and Rachel made it quite clear, she didn't want me along," Phoebe explained. "It was meant to be, like, saying goodbye to their feelings for each other, the way I got it."

"Yeah, that's how I felt about it," said Rachel excitedly, "and also, I thought Ross needed a bit of cheering up, after the break with Elizabeth. I know I put him through it, now and then, so I felt I kinda owed him a satisfactory closure." She smirked again. "We certainly got that."

" It sounds like quite a night. Any details you're willing to share, Rachel?" asked Joey insinuatingly.

"Joey!" cried Monica, Phoebe and Chandler together.

"It's okay, guys," said Rachel in a laid back manner. "I guess I have been asking for that. But no, Joey, no details – now or ever. Well, I thought, there's no need to keep it secret or anything, so that's where I've been. Now I must go shower and change."

As soon as she had left, Monica began to cross-question Phoebe sternly, and Phoebe filled in what details she knew. Monica's frown deepened.

"This is totally wrong," she said angrily. "Phoebe, how can you have let them do this?"

"But she didn't know they were going to do it," Chandler said reasonably.

"And how was she gonna stop them?" Joey put in. "They're all grown up. Besides, Rachel seems okay with it – no revived feelings about Ross or anything."

"I'm not concerned with _her_," said Monica disdainfully. "I'm thinking about my _brother_ and the effect on him. If she was feeling so horny, why couldn't she go out and find some stranger to get laid by? She's had enough one-night stands, God knows."

"Ross is a big boy," Chandler said in a mildly protesting tone. "He can look after himself, surely."

"Not where Rachel's concerned, he can't," Monica snapped, rounding on him. "I'm really mad at her, the little slut! I'll bet this is gonna cause all kinds of problems between them, just when everyone should be concentrating on my wedding!"

"Our wedding," Chandler corrected, a little less mildly. "Why don't you wait and see what Ross thinks about it, before condemning Rachel to outer darkness?"

"Chandler, this is no time for smart-ass comments!" Monica virtually screamed at him.

Chandler looked both surprised and hurt, and muttered something inaudible. All at once Phoebe felt sorry for him.

"I think Chandler's right," she said. "If Ross accepts this as closure, where's the problem?"

Monica turned a death glare on her, but Phoebe refused to be intimidated and glared right back.

"Okay, okay, we'll wait to see how Ross takes it," Monica said grumblingly. "But my bet is, this will send him off the rails again."

-----

"It was a while before Ross showed up again," Phoebe explained. "We didn't see him at breakfast, but he showed up in the afternoon, before Monica went back to work. And that's when – Why, here's Rachel!" She jumped up.

"Hi, honey," said Rachel warmly, coming forward to hug Phoebe and kiss her on the cheek. She was looking good, Phoebe thought – well-dressed as always, but also relaxed. That slight tightness in her face that had so often been there, as if she was frowning about something that was irritating her, was gone.

"Hi, Gunther," Rachel said, turning to him with a beaming smile. "It's great to see you still here. Makes me remember the good old days."

"Uh, hi, Rachel," Gunther stammered, flushing slightly. "Phoebe was just telling me about how things … went wrong between you guys."

Rachel's expression sobered. "I think all that is better forgotten," she said quietly.

"Yes, but I don't know any of it, to forget," said Gunther quite emotionally, looking very frustrated. "Chandler and Monica broke up, and I never knew why, but clearly it was bad, and then you all started disappearing or avoiding each other, never coming here at the same time. So, well, I'd like to know what happened."

Rachel seemed rather impressed by this speech, probably the longest she had ever heard from Gunther. "Sure," she said softly as she sat down. "I understand, Gunther. Anyway, it doesn't hurt any more, really. I made it up with Monica some time ago, and … well, my life is going well now." She smiled, looking happy.

"Ooh, a guy, maybe?" said Phoebe excitedly.

Rachel smiled a little smugly. "I got a promotion," she said, "but, yeah, you guessed it, it's a guy. You've heard me say how hard it is to find a straight guy in my business? Well, someone was just transferred to our branch, and he's clearly interested in me." She inspected her nails, trying (and to Phoebe's eyes not succeeding) to look casual. "And I'm sort of interested in him, too. His name's Gavin." Then she looked up at Gunther. "Could I have a large latte, Gunther?"

Gunther was looking very down in the mouth. How can Rachel not know he has a crush on her, Phoebe thought. But Rachel's expression of generalised friendliness did not change.

After a moment Gunther seemed to shake himself. "One latte coming right up," he said, and hurried off.

Rachel caught Phoebe looking at her, and sighed. "I _do_ know, Phoebe," she said, nodding her head towards Gunther, "but what am I gonna do? At the beginning I thought he'd get over it if I showed no interest. How was I to know it would go on for so long?"

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah, it has, like, dragged on a bit," she said sympathetically.

"So, where have you got to, bringing Gunther up to speed on what happened?" Rachel said, looking interested.

"I had reached your bonus night," said Phoebe, looking at her rather anxiously. For quite a while Rachel could hardly bear to hear it mentioned.

To her relief Rachel simply chuckled. "Oh, what good memories that brings back," she said, "despite what came after." She shook her head. "But Monica was right: I shouldn't have done it."

"How so, Rachel?" said Gunther, who had arrived that moment with her coffee. "Did Ross start having feelings again?"

"You got it," said Rachel, pulling a comically doleful face.

"He came in that afternoon, when Rachel was still out," Phoebe said. "But all the rest of us were there …"

-----

"Hi, guys!" said Ross. He was looking remarkably cheerful. "Did Rachel tell you our news?"

"Yeah, we heard you had a real good time with her last night," said Joey, grinning broadly.

"It was more than that, Joey," said Ross reprovingly. "We're gonna get back together."

The others all looked at each other uneasily.

"Uh … that's not what Rachel said," Chandler said rather tentatively.

Ross's smile changed to a frown. "Why, what did she say?"

"She said it was the best end to a relationship she ever had," Monica said, looking at Ross worriedly.

"The way she told it to us, I don't see how you could get the idea that she wanted to get back together," Chandler said, shaking his head.

Ross sat down heavily. "That's precisely the idea I did get," he said, now sounding very unhappy.

"I _knew_ it!" Monica cried fiercely. "I _knew_ this is what would happen!"

"Rachel called it a bonus night," said Chandler. "Did she say anything to you like that?"

Ross wrinkled his brow in an effort at remembering. "Um, yeah," he said, "now I think about it, I guess she did say something like that, right at the beginning. But I thought she was just kidding, making a reference to all that fuss at the time of your engagement."

Chandler was now looking worried too. "Ross, did she say anything at all that gave you the idea she wanted to start over?"

"Yeah," said Joey. "I mean, when I'm with a girl who really wants a relationship, she'll bring up the topic some way. That's how I know not to call them."

Ross sat thinking while they all looked at him. Finally he shook his head. "We didn't talk much," he said slowly, "but I can't believe she doesn't have feelings for me. She was … so keen." There was real pain in his voice. "So I thought, she must be ready to start over."

Monica produced an exaggerated sigh. "Ross, you're kidding yourself," she said firmly. "She made it quite clear to us, she wanted that to be the end of any idea of a relationship between you."

Ross actually groaned and put his head in his hands. Immediately Monica went over to embrace him. Somewhat reluctantly, Phoebe joined her, and then Chandler and Joey came up, to put their hands on Ross's shoulders. Chandler caught Phoebe's eye and shook his head.

"This is bad," he murmured.

At that moment Rachel came in. "Hi, guys," she said cheerily, then "What's up?" as she saw them clustered around Ross.

"You thought you were saying goodbye," said Monica rather fiercely, "but clearly  
Ross didn't! He thought you wanted to get back together." Her voice had a marked note of accusation.

Rachel looked stricken. "Ross, I thought we were agreed," she said. "I said, why didn't we have a bonus night, and you said, yeah, great idea." Her voice began to rise. "You can't have got the idea that I felt more than friendship for you?"

"I did," said Ross in a shaky voice.

"Oh GOD!" Rachel cried, now sounding mad and throwing down her purse in evident frustration. "How much plainer could I get? Don't you remember what I said about having a wake for our feelings for each other? All I wanted – and I thought, all you wanted too – was one night of great sex, like we used to have."

"I just … it brought it all back," Ross said, sounding as if he was close to tears. "You mean, you can be that, that enthusiastic, when it's just sex, you felt nothing for me?"

Rachel drew in a breath, then slowly let it out again. "I'm not saying it wasn't … rather special," she said in a controlled voice. "You and I have a long history, after all, and we always went well together – I've told you what a good lover you are. So, yeah, okay, I was enthusiastic. But that's all it was, Ross, and I never pretended otherwise."

"So, you used my brother to fulfil your sexual needs!" Monica cried in a tone of considerable anger. "You never thought, it could be dangerous, it could stir up old feelings! What Rachel wants, Rachel gets, and to hell with anything else!"

Rachel went pale. "It wasn't like that," she protested. "I thought he was totally on board with the idea that it would be a nice way to get closure."

"Nice!" Monica yelled. " I don't believe you! I think you were just needy. You wanted some _nice_, no-strings-attached sex, and who better to give it to you than reliable old Ross?" She leaned forward, her expression very hostile. "Why didn't you go pick up some guy in a bar? It would have been just as slutty, but it wouldn't have hurt anyone."

Rachel looked as if she'd been slapped in the face. For a moment she seemed unable to speak. When she did, her voice was shaking slightly. "You can say that to me, after all these years we've known each other? Okay, we've joked around about sluttiness, but …" She stopped, her eyes fixed on Monica, her expression strained.

"Yeah, I'm not joking!" Monica continued at full volume. "Your problem, Rachel Karen Green, is that you are a complete, uncaring, thoughtless _slut_!" She pronounced the word so viciously that not only Phoebe but Joey and Chandler gasped, while even Ross looked slightly shocked. "It never seems to occur to you what damage you can do …"

Rachel held up a hand, her face set, and for a wonder Monica stopped.

"Okay," Rachel said in a voice that was just slightly shaky, "I get the message. Well, you won't want a slut for your Maid of Honor, obviously, so I resign here and now. Phoebe, I'll pass all the stuff I've got together to you as soon as I can." She drew a breath and looked round them all. "I'm sorry about all this, guys, but I can tell when I'm not wanted. It's better that I just remove myself altogether. Joey, I'll start looking for another apartment. And Ross," her voice became softer, "I'm really sorry, okay? Whatever Monica likes to think, I was trying to end things with you in a good way."

"Th-that's okay, Rachel," Ross muttered.

At the same time Joey said in horrified tones, "You're gonna walk out, you're really gonna leave us?"

"You can't!" Monica cried, her voice suddenly panicky.

"Watch me," said Rachel curtly, heading for the door without looking back.

"I, I didn't mean …" Monica began rather tentatively.

Rachel turned at the door. Phoebe thought there was a shine of tears in her eys, but her voice was steady. "Yes, you did," she said, and then she was gone.

There was a stunned silence. Monica stood frozen, white-faced, eyes closed, fists clenched.

Chandler sighed. "That went well," he said in a detectably sarcastic tone.

"Don't," said Monica through her teeth. "Don't you dare to criticise me, Chandler, not over this." It looked to Phoebe as if her body was trembling slightly.

"Uh, Mon," Ross began.

She rounded on him. "Don't _you_ start! This is as much your fault as hers. She only has to waggle her ass, and you go running! Between the two of you, you've come close to ruining my wedding!" She almost ran to her bedroom and slammed the door.

"Oh wow!" said Joey softly.

"I'm sorry, Chandler," said Ross to Chandler contritely. "I, I guess Monica is overwrought, with all the wedding plans on her mind."

Chandler nodded and grunted acknowledgement rather casually. He was looking off into space, as if his mind was elsewhere. They all watched him, not knowing what to say but expecting that he was going to come up with something. He had that look.

Finally he sighed, even more deeply than before, and spoke. "You know, if she says '_my_ wedding' much more, I … I don't know what I'll do, but I _will_ do something. Joey, let's go play foosball. I need to work off some adrenalin."

-----

Hearing Phoebe's brief summary of what had been said after she left, Rachel sighed.

"I guess that whole incident brought Chandler's underlying feelings closer to the surface," she said.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Phoebe soberly. "But you know what I think? If it hadn't been that, it would have been something else. Sooner or later, it was bound to come."

"Hey, guys!" came a well-known voice, and they all turned, to see a smiling Ross standing behind them. With him was an attractive black woman, almost as tall as he was.

"Ross!" cried Rachel in tones of delight, jumping to her feet. "It's so good to see you! You're looking well." She hurried forward to give him a hug, which, Phoebe was relieved to see, was simply a friendly hug, with no suggestion of the lover about it, and was not accompanied by any attempt to kiss him.

"You're looking good too," said Ross, returning the hug, his smile undiminished, "and you, Pheebs."

Phoebe had come up more slowly, and now gave him a warm hug also, pleased that he had come. She smiled at the black woman, who produced a rather nervous smile in return.

"Charlie, these are Phoebe and Rachel," said Ross, beaming, "You've heard me talk about them. And, guys, this is Charlie Wheeler, a really good palaeontologist, and also," he paused teasingly for a moment, "my fiancée." He took her hand and held it forward. They could all see a rather impressive, old-fashioned looking ring.


	3. Rachel Has Grown Up

Chapter 3: Rachel Has Grown Up

Author's Note: I am sorry that it is taking so long to update this, but the crucial event, the great big fat break up between Chandler and Monica, needs careful thinking out, and I still don't think I've got it right. I put up this unusually short (for me) chapter that completes dealing with the Ross-Rachel situation (covered in Ch. 2, which some readers may not realise, since my replacement of the original apology there did not register as an update), and forms an introduction to the Chandler-Monica situation. I hope it will temporarily satisfy for those who have asked for updates (thank you, everyone; I am gratified by your interest).

Disclaimer: As far as I know, there is absolutely no obligation to put a disclaimer in every chapter – once for each story or other item should suffice!

-----

Phoebe held her breath. Rachel might be okay with meeting Ross again as a friend, but how would she react to this, Ross getting engaged once more to another woman?

She need not have worried. Rachel clapped her hands together and looked very pleased. "Ross, that's great!" she cried enthusiastically. "Congratulations to you both!" Her expression became a little mischievous. "Did you meet over a dinosaur bone?"

Ross grinned, and Charlie laughed. "No, I got appointed to Ross's department," she said. "I had heard of Ross before – who in our field hasn't? – but never met him." She looked at Rachel a little quizzically. "You're the Rachel I've heard so much about?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, I was his girlfriend once, and we had this odd kind of relationship afterwards, because we stayed friends and saw each other all the time," she said. "I, uh, don't know quite how much Ross has told you …"

Ross looked a little embarrassed. "Well, to be honest, Charlie got it all out of me, in the end."

"Well, I hope you understand, that is _all_ over," said Rachel rather earnestly to Charlie. "I am glad to see Ross again, as must be obvious, but if you think I'm gonna get all jealous like I did before, and try to break you up, forget it. I really and truly am over Ross, for ever. I thought I was, before our bonus night, but … I guess there was a little something left."

Phoebe regarded Rachel with admiration. She really had matured, to be so concerned with what Charlie might think about the situation between her and Ross. In fact, her whole behaviour seemed calmer and more mature than it used to be, like she had really grown up.

"It sounds like it," said Charlie a trifle drily. "But I appreciate your honesty. It took me a while to get Ross to open up about his past. For some reason he seemed to think it would put me off. But, while it's not the kind of thing that happens to every guy, I think it's all understandable. And I'm used to men with strange pasts. The trouble I had with previous relationships – brilliant men, but crazy!"

"Yeah, Charlie's lowering herself, marrying me," said Ross, grinning. "Her previous dates have been Nobel Prize winners."

Charlie hit him on the shoulder with her fist, but not very hard. "Enough of that, Geller," she said mock-sternly.

Phoebe smiled to see them getting along so well. Just then Gunther, who had moved away to serve customers, returned, looking a little reserved – he had always seemed rather hostile to Ross, Phoebe thought to herself – and was introduced to Charlie, whom he greeted politely but rather abstractedly.

"So, um, do I get to hear any more?" he said, looking at Phoebe. "We haven't reached the big break up yet."

Ross frowned a little, and Phoebe hastened to explain. Ross's frown deepened.

"I don't see what purpose is served by raking over the past," he said rather stiffly.

"Yeah, that was a bad time," said Rachel reminiscently. "Though it did get me back to being friends with Monica. I called her as soon as I heard."

"No one ever told Gunther what went wrong," Phoebe pointed out. "We just, like, vanished on him. He deserves to know something."

Ross shrugged. "Okay," he muttered.

"I'd like to know how the great fight started, myself," said Rachel. "Monica was almost incoherent when she talked about it, and I just couldn't get it straight. I gave up trying pretty fast, in fact, because it seemed to distress her so much."

"Let's sit down, 'cause it's a long story," said Phoebe, nodding her head at the couch and chairs, now vacated. She looked at Ross and Charlie. "You guys wanna order something? Anyone else?"

Gunther left to get the various items ordered, and they all sat down. Ross relaxed on the couch as if he had never left it, with Charlie beside him. He smiled at Rachel.

"You dating anyone?" he asked, as if he really wanted to know. "I hope so. Mark, maybe?" he added. It was said lightly, without a trace of jealousy.

"Oh no, Mark left Bloomingdale's, and I hear he's got married," said Rachel casually, not seeming offended. "But there is this new guy Gavin in the office." She smiled. "He's nice."

Ross beamed. "I'm glad. You should have someone nice. I always thought that."

Rachel smiled back at him. "Yeah, I still remember what you said that time, when you found out I wasn't going to get back with Paolo, after I stupidly slept with him again. Thanks, Ross."

Again Phoebe was struck by her readiness to admit her own fault and her simple acceptance of Ross's words at face value, without making any kind of sarcastic comeback as she would likely have done in the past.

"Okay," said Phoebe, once Gunther had returned and distributed their orders, "well, I've thought about it all, and I've realised, you could see the smash-up coming for days, weeks even. Although she had me for Maid of Honor, Monica was trying to keep everything in her hands – she was never good at delegating – and it was driving her slowly crazy. I guess Rachel knew how to calm her down better than I did."

Rachel sighed and nodded. "We had our fights, but … yeah, I did know ways. But it was hard, even before I walked out."

Phoebe went on, "She knew I was still seeing Rachel, because I needed her input on the Maid of Honor stuff, and while she made a show of accepting this, you could see it still made her kind of mad – that, and knowing that I didn't approve of the way she drove Rachel away, though I never said anything. In fact, she was, like, defensive about the whole thing. Chandler said something to me once, about her not sleeping well, and I think maybe she was laying awake going over and over it in her mind."

Now Phoebe sighed. "And then there was the way Chandler was behaving. He made it fairly clear that he wasn't happy that Monica had broken up our group by getting so mad at Rachel that she walked out, which also screwed up a lot of the wedding arrangements. I think, the way Monica saw it, he should have been helping to pick up the slack. But she had shut him out earlier, when he tried to get involved, and I guess this made him resentful, and though he had not really shown it before, now he began to be sulky. He clearly wanted some kind of, like, olive branch from Monica. But, you know, it went clear against her nature to admit that she might have been wrong, and ask for help."

Rachel nodded and Ross groaned. "Yeah, that's Monica, all right, or rather, that's what she was like then," he said.

"So," said Phoebe, "she had got to where she was absolutely the opposite of relaxed, in fact I've never known her so tense …"


	4. Chandler and Monica's Big Fat Breakup

Chapter 4: Chandler and Monica's Big Fat Breakup

Author's Note: Thanks to all my nice reviewers!

This presentation of Monica could rouse hackles, and might be thought slightly unfair, since in the show she does not always ride roughshod over Chandler in matters concerning the wedding (e.g. she gave up the cheap wedding dress so he could have the swing band he wanted). But there remains a general impression that he gets very little say in things, which seems unjust when he's paying for it, and overall this can be seen as a time when 'managing Monica' turns into 'bullying Monica'. Moreover, this is an AU, in which there has already been one major change from the show's presentation of events, Rachel's departure, brought on by Monica's behaviour. I have no doubt that this would have a bad effect on Monica's temper and general attitude.

-----

"Hold on a minute," said Charlie. "You say Chandler was shut out when he wanted to be involved in the wedding, but now that Monica wanted him in he wouldn't play? That seems inconsistent."

"I guess he wanted in on _his_ terms," said Phoebe. "He wanted Monica to come right out and say sorry, she shouldn't have shut him out, she really needed him, all that. He was like … what's that guy's name, so-and-so in his tent?"

"Achilles, in the Iliad," said Ross authoritatively. "He withdraws from the fighting and sulks because he feels he has been publicly dishonoured. But when he's offered a reconciliation package, which is actually a good deal, he won't accept it – he can't let go of his grievance."

Phoebe looked at him admiringly. "You do know a lot of stuff, Ross. Well, I think Chandler was a bit like that. I think he wanted Monica to apologise, maybe to beg, even. But, like I said, this was more than Monica was ready to give. She was already feeling very defensive over Rachel, and I guess she didn't want to have to admit to what might be seen as bad behaviour, but to move on. Well, Chandler seemed bound and determined not to make it easy for her."

"Okay," said Charlie. "So Chandler was acting up – but he wasn't coming right out and saying why? I mean, he never said anything which might give Monica an opening, like 'What do you need me for, you've gotten along fine so far without me'?"

Phoebe shook her head. "He always tended to, like, internalise a lot. So, well, on that last day …"

-----

Phoebe and Monica were finalising various matters to do with the reception, and often finding themselves undecided, and Phoebe could tell that Monica was getting more and more impatient with Chandler, to the point of being mad. He seemed to be deliberately baiting her by making a display of thinking that the wedding plans were nothing to do with him. Whenever Monica asked for his opinion, he would act surprised to be asked, and say in a throwaway manner that whatever she wanted was fine with him. This did not exactly surprise Phoebe, since from the very beginning Monica had been set on having her own way, whatever Chandler said or suggested. Clearly that had rankled, more than he had shown, and now he was getting his own back. But Monica was at least trying to include him, now that Rachel was no longer there to consult, and Phoebe thought it unwise of Chandler to maintain this 'who cares?' attitude.

Finally, Monica snapped, in a tone of considerable irritation, "Chandler, don't you have any interest in the wedding arrangements at all?"

Chandler looked up from the paper in which he had been ostentatiously burying his nose except when spoken to directly. "Now you want me to show interest in the wedding arrangements?" he said in his surprised way. "I thought I was just supposed to show up and say the right name. I don't see the point of giving an opinion when it never, ever, makes any difference."

"I wouldn't ask for your opinion if I didn't want it," Monica said, looking taken aback at the distinct flavour of bitterness in his voice.

"So you can have the pleasure of contradicting me if it doesn't fit yours?" said Chandler ironically. "This may come as a surprise, but I do not find that fun."

Monica looked at him, her eyes stormy and her voice rising. "Well, I don't see why you can't at least show some interest in how I'm planning my wedding …"

Phoebe saw Chandler's expression change to something she could not be sure of, but it looked like real anger. "Oh, why?" he said in bitterly sarcastic tones. "I'm only the guy who's paying for it all, which is one thing that makes it _our_ wedding – not just yours."

Monica breathed in and out audibly. Phoebe felt alarmed; she recognised danger signs.

"Guys, guys, calm down!" she said urgently. "This will produce really bad karma, which is the last thing you want at a wedding."

But they ignored her.

"You know perfectly well I don't mean to suggest it's just my wedding," Monica said angrily.

"Well, you keep on saying 'my'," Chandler pointed out. "What you might call a Freudian slip."

"Meaning?" Monica snapped.

"Meaning, subconsciously you think of the whole wedding as being about you," Chandler snapped back.

"Chandler, are you determined to make me mad?" said Monica in a suddenly steely voice. "Because you're certainly doing well, so far."

"It's my way of making you notice me," Chandler retorted.

"Guys!" Phoebe pleaded, unnerved by this sudden outbreak of mutual animosity. "You're saying things you're really gonna regret. Please stop this."

"You stay out of this, Phoebe," said Monica, keeping her gaze fixed on Chandler. Her fists were clenched. "Well, I guess I should be pleased that you are here to be noticed, for once," she said between her teeth.

"What do you mean, 'for once'?" Chandler said grittily.

"Because so often you're off with Joey!" Monica yelled.

Chandler jumped to his feet, very flushed. "I'm only around with him so much because there's no point in staying here, when you bite my head off every time I make the smallest suggestion, and I'm sick of it!"

"You're sick of it?" Monica repeated, also getting to her feet. "Well, let me tell you what makes me a little bit sick sometimes, _mister_." She wagged a finger in his face, and her voice was fierce. "When I think that this wedding isn't gonna change a damn thing. We'll be in the same apartment, hanging out in the same coffee house, having the same friends dropping in all the time – and you seem perfectly happy with everything being the same, for ever!"

"Hold it!" he cried, throwing up a hand dramatically. "You're the one who likes to be the hostess, the one who knocked herself out making all the Christmas candy, until I had to step in and stop it. Now you're saying you don't want any of that?"

Monica looked like a child that had been caught out in a lie. She ran her hands over her face and through her hair, and sighed. "No," she said eventually, in a much more subdued, almost girlish voice, "it's just that sometimes … just sometimes … I feel … exploited … and I want it … to stop."

Oh oh, thought Phoebe, we're getting to deep Monica here.

"Okay, I know I like to be the hostess," Monica continued in a stronger voice, "but sometimes I wish people wouldn't take it all for granted, but show a bit of gratitude." Her voice sharpened again and her face showed clear resentment. "Like Joey."

"Now what's your problem with Joey?" said Chandler sharply.

"He's constantly in and out of here, invading our privacy, helping himself to things, expecting breakfast always to be ready for him, but does he ever say thank you? No, it's like he has a right. And always he's trying to get you to go off and do stuff together, like he can't accept that your relationship with him can't be the way it was before, when we're committed to each other."

"I don't see why not," said Chandler stiffly. "He's my best friend. So, what, you're jealous of Joey? That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" Monica cried, suddenly looking furious again. "If we're gonna talk of Freudian slips, how about when you said you'd date him, as soon as you were asked, without thinking, right off the bat?"

Chandler's face flushed an even deeper red. "Monica, don't go there," he said in a strained voice. "That is _very_ dangerous ground."

"Guys!" Phoebe shouted, trying to establish control of the situation, but it was too late – Monica was in full flow again.

"All right," she said, breathing rather hard, "I'll tell you something else that looks like it's gonna go on for ever, and makes me slightly sick – seeing you doing work you don't enjoy, because you're too scared to leave!"

For a moment Chandler looked thrown by this abrupt change in Monica's line of attack, but then his expression hardened again. "Well, there are things that make me sick, too," he shouted, "like the way I'm given no respect by the woman I'm going to marry!"

"It's hard to respect someone who sucks up to that obnoxious Doug the way you do!" Monica yelled. "Who doesn't even have the nerve to tell a co-worker his name's not Toby!"

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Phoebe shouted..

"And not just that," Chandler carried on, as if neither had spoken, "you don't show me love any more – you prefer to yell at me and bully me!"

Phoebe had never seen Monica look so mad. Oh God, she's completely lost it, she thought. Watching a shipwreck must be like this. You could see disaster coming, but were powerless to stop it.

"Well, then, if that's how you feel, maybe you shouldn't marry me!" Monica screamed. "Go marry Joey! You should be very happy with him, and I'm sure your father will approve!"

Phoebe gasped in shock, and Chandler froze. Even Monica seemed to realise at once that she had gone too far, and clapped a hand to her mouth, looking at Chandler with big apprehensive eyes.

"That does it," Chandler said slowly. He nodded. "Yes, that does it." Ignoring Monica, he turned to Phoebe. "Sorry about all the work you've put in, Pheebs, but there won't be a wedding now."

"_What?_" Monica cried, hands clutching her cheeks, staring at him as if he was some kind of terrifying ghost. "Chandler, I … I didn't really mean it … I was just … mad …"

"Yes, you did mean it," he replied evenly, "just like with Rachel. If you can say something like that to me, obviously you don't love me any more. I'll clear my stuff out later, when you're not here."

"You … you're … ending it," she said in a wondering voice, "just like that …" Phoebe hoped she would break down in tears, which might touch Chandler, but instead she seemed to draw herself up and fixed him with a death glare. "Go on, then – see if I care," she hissed.

"Goodbye!" he snapped, and marched out.

Phoebe looked at Monica, with no idea at all what to say. In the space of a minute or two, it seemed, everything had changed for the absolute worst.

Monica snorted. "He'll be back," she grated. "You just wait and see. He can't do without me."

"Monica, go after him, for God's sake," Phoebe said urgently. "Plead with him, cry … you can't let the best relationship you ever had just vanish into thin air like this."

Monica shook her head, looking obstinate. "I won't give him the satisfaction."

She set off for her bedroom, walking rather stiffly. Phoebe started after her, but Monica turned and gave her a clear 'don't follow me' look, then entered and slammed the door.

Phoebe let her go, and sat on the couch, wondering what on earth could be done to salvage the situation, while fearing that it was past being salvaged. Things had been said on both sides that it would be very hard to forgive, things that uncovered deep feelings. But they had not always felt like this at bottom, had they? She thought about it. Maybe all those years when Chandler was the friend who was in constant relationship trouble had instilled attitudes into Monica that were very hard to change. Maybe, too, he had let her get too used to bossing him around; he rarely stood up to her, but that was what you had to do with Monica. She herself had moved away rather than take all the crap. It seemed like, for a while, Monica might have learned her lesson, but no, her beasts were always there, waiting to be awakened: competitiveness, control freakery, obsession with cleanliness ... Maybe Chandler was well out of it – but this was probably going to break Monica's heart, and likely Chandler's too.

**-----**

"And so, he never did come back?" said Charlie, who seemed enthralled by the story.

Phoebe shook her head. "Nope. He moved back in with Joey and did just what he'd said he would – cleared all his stuff out of their apartment when Monica was at work. Ross, Joey and I all tried our best to reconcile them, to remind them how much they loved each other, but it was no use, even when you got involved," she said, looking at Rachel.

"Yeah," said Rachel, "as soon as I heard, I knew I couldn't keep feeling mad at Monica. I came running, all ready to hear the whole story and let her cry on my shoulder and do anything I could. But she was in a very strange mood. It was like she was too proud to show that the breakup was killing her, though that was obvious. When I tried to talk to her about Chandler and remind her of all the good things she used to say about him, she was either dismissive or got mad. Nothing would move her. She stopped saying Chandler would be back pretty soon, but she still couldn't bring herself to admit she'd brought it on herself by the way she handled it all."

"Yeah, and with Chandler, you just had to press a button and out it all came, " said Ross. "He would go on and on about Monica's bad side, just like he used to do over Janice. It was like he wanted to forget that he'd ever been in love with Monica."

"Who's Janice?" said Charlie.

They all looked at her in surprise. Then Phoebe looked at Ross and chuckled. "You didn't tell her about your little fling with Janice, then?"

Ross looked embarrassed. "It really wasn't an important part of my back history. I'll tell you about Janice later, Charlie."

"Janice was this incredibly annoying girl friend of Chandler's, who he kept taking up with and then dumping," Rachel explained to Charlie. "She had a very nasal voice, and an awful laugh, and lots of tedious mannerisms, but there was this one time when they were really in love."

"Yeah, but when they broke up, and then met again – remember the Yemen thing?" said Phoebe.

They all snickered and shook their heads, while Charlie looked at them rather blankly. Phoebe hastily explained, and Charlie burst out laughing.

"You mean, he went through all that, just because he couldn't face telling her that he no longer had feelings for her?" she spluttered between laughs. She tried to get control of herself, "I know I shouldn't laugh, when he's your friend, but …" She shook her head and went off again.

"Well, that was Chandler for you," said Rachel slowly, not looking altogether pleased that Charlie seemed to find it so funny.

Ross sighed. "Yeah, that was Chandler."

"I'm sorry," said Charlie, looking at them sympathetically. "I know, when you get close to people, you tend to accept them just as they are," she said. "You don't really expect them to change. I have friends like that."

"Oh, but Chandler did change," said Phoebe. "His experience with Monica was sort of good for him that way. He learned about how to stay really close to a woman for a long time, over two years, and he lived with her for more than one. And her behaviour finally drove him to confront this situation where, deep down, he was unhappy, and do something about it. You could see that he had become more confident, even in the, like, breakup situation."

"So, what happened next?" said Gunther rather impatiently. He had been away serving customers and now had come back and was obviously bored with this discussion of Chandler's character.

"Well, for a while it was really uncomfortable," said Phoebe. "Because there Chandler was on the other side of the hallway, and Monica would do everything she could to avoid meeting him, and I guess he was the same. Joey, poor guy, was really torn between them, but mainly he was loyal to Chandler, so he did not come over very often. And of course we stopped hanging out as a group here."

"I have to admit, at first I was nervous about seeing Ross again, too," said Rachel. "I was feeling … kind of guilty. And then, no way was Monica running the risk of meeting Chandler. So she and I started going to another place for coffee."

"Then Chandler did something really decisive," said Phoebe. "He found his own apartment and moved out."

"And he jacked in the job he hated, and looked for something else," said Ross. "He had the money that had been going to be spent on the wedding to support himself. And he actually landed an internship at an advertising firm, and did so well that he got offered a real job."

"But it's like, all these changes encouraged Joey to think of changing too," said Phoebe. "He said it was something he'd always wanted to do, and that was, move to LA to try to make it in the movies over there. He didn't think New York was stretching him enough as an actor." She tried and failed to suppress a giggle, and Ross and Rachel snickered and wagged their heads in recognition of Joey's somewhat starry-eyed view of his quality as an actor. "He really meant it, though, because he went, even though you could see, it was really hurting him to leave Chandler, who wouldn't throw up his new job and go to LA with him. But they exchange visits quite often, I believe."

"Dear old Joey," said Rachel. "I hope he shows."

"I think he will," said Phoebe. "He's always been good about seeing me when he's in New York."

"Yeah, so that's all about them," said Charlie, plainly not very interested, "but what I want to know is, what about Monica? What happened to her?"

"You don't know?" said Rachel in surprise. "I mean, she is Ross's sister."

Ross looked embarrassed. "Well, you know, I stopped coming around much during the bad time. She would go on and on about what a useless guy Chandler was and I just couldn't take it. Hell, the guy was my friend, he was my best man when I married Carol, and, and Emily too." He looked nervously at Rachel, but she simply smiled at him reassuringly.

"If we hadn't been so drunk, maybe we'd have called him in for our Vegas wedding," she remarked lightly.

Ross smiled, evidently relieved that she did not object to any reference to Emily. "And there weren't the opportunities to meet, when we stopping getting together regularly in Central Perk," he continued. "We both had demanding jobs. And that year, she didn't throw a Thanksgiving party."

"She told me, she just couldn't face it – she'd have been crying all over the place," said Rachel, with a sigh. "That was the closest she came to admitting her unhappiness over the breakup."

Ross nodded. "We speak on the phone fairly often, but we have rather got out of the habit of meeting, and so I haven't had the occasion to introduce her to Charlie yet."

"Yeah, and there's lots here you never told me," said Charlie a bit tartly, "but I have noticed, you've been a bit reticent about discussing your family, especially your sister. I guessed there were problems there, though you were obviously very close in previous years. I can see now why it might be a painful subject. And we've only _just_ got engaged, Rachel, so I guess Ross is still planning how to introduce me to his family." She grinned at him.

Perceiving that Charlie was really interested in Monica's story, Phoebe continued. "One way she took to get over the breakup was to throw herself into her work. She became a real workaholic."

"Yeah, she hardly ever took a break from that restaurant," said Rachel. "She wouldn't even try to date. I tried often enough to get her out there again, but I got zilch response, so I kind of gave up. And I wasn't seeing her so much, either, because I had my own work, and I was really trying to get somewhere with it. And then there was her breakdown …"

"Breakdown?" said Charlie sharply.

Ross sighed. "I hoped that wouldn't come up, but, yeah, Monica had a breakdown." He said no more, looking rather gloomy.

"Well, aren't you going to tell me about it?" said Charlie, sounding exasperated. "How come I never heard any of this before? Rachel, maybe you can fill me in. I mean, it sounds fairly important, though she must have got over that too, going by other things you've said. Was it an after-effect of the breakup with Chandler?"

"Why not ask me?" said a soft voice. "I'm the best qualified to tell you."

They all turned, to see Monica smiling at them. Obviously she had seen them and sneaked up quietly, and had overheard part of their conversation.


	5. Monica's Story

Chapter 5: Monica's Story 

Author's Note: I don't think I've ever had such an enthusiastic bunch of reviewers; thank you all very much. I hope I shall continue to entertain you, though there are only a few left to show up now. But I warn, there may be some surprises …

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Cress, whose criticisms of drafts have _considerably_ improved these crucial chapters.

-----

Rachel jumped to her feet at once, crying "Monica!" delightedly. She threw her arms round Monica to give her a very warm hug, then held her at arm's length and looked her over.

"You're looking really good!" she said enthusiastically.

Phoebe, following her to embrace Monica, had to agree. Monica's face had filled out a little, in fact she seemed to have put on a little weight all over, but that was a clear improvement. Her face had lost that lined, drawn look, her eyes were bright and clear, her expression was sunny. It's hard to believe that she's past thirty, Phoebe thought.

"It's so great to see you," she said as she hugged Monica. "Thank you so much for coming."

"How could I stay away?" said Monica teasingly. Then she turned to Ross, who was standing there looking surprisingly uneasy, with Charlie by his side.

"It's okay, Ross," she said. "I have got rid of all the jealousy."

He hugged her, looking pleased. "Hi, little sister."

"Hi, big bro," she replied with clear affection in her voice.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet," he said, drawing back and holding out a hand to Charlie. "This is Charlie Wheeler – we have just got engaged."

"Oh great!" cried Monica, hugging Charlie. "My, you're nearly as tall as Ross. Are you a palaeontologist too?"

"Guilty," said Charlie, grinning. "I joined Ross's department a while ago."

"It figures," said Monica, also grinning. Then she noticed Gunther, hovering behind the others.

"Gunther!" she cried, holding her arms out. "It's so good to see you!" He looked very pleased to be included in the the hugging. Then they all sat down again, apart from Gunther, and Monica looked round with an expression of evident happiness.

"This is just like old times. Are Chandler and Joey coming?" There was clear eagerness in her voice.

"Well, we hope so," said Phoebe, slightly taken aback at Monica's enthusiasm.

"I can't wait to see them!" Monica said. Then her voice dropped and softened. "How is Chandler? Is he doing okay?" She looked at Ross. "You still see him, don't you?"

Oh oh, thought Phoebe, she's still got a thing for him.

"Yeah," said Ross, "though not as often as I'd like. We both have busy schedules. But he seems to be doing fine. You should hear him going on about his work; he really is enjoying it, I think."

"Now, _that's_ a change!" said Rachel merrily. "Though I guess the same could be said of me." She looked at Gunther, eyes twinkling. "I guess you've used me as an example to trainees of how not to be a waitress."

Gunther's face took an embarrassed, rather guilty look. "Well, uh, you weren't the world's greatest," he stammered, "but I, uh, liked having you around."

Rachel giggled. "Especially when I was wearing those short skirts, huh?" She turned her attention back to Monica. "Any _news_?" She emphasised the word and arched her eyebrows in a parody of eagerness for information.

Monica chuckled easily. "Yeah, I'm dating someone. You won't believe this, but he's British."

Maybe I was wrong about her feelings for Chandler, Phoebe thought. She certainly looks pleased about this guy, not just going through the motions to have a date. "I bet he's something to do with food," she said.

Monica grinned. "Right. He's in importing. I never got to taste so much great cheese! His name's Don."

"Sounds ideal," Rachel commented. They all knew of Monica's fondness for smelly French cheeses.

"He's older than me, but we have so much in common," said Monica enthusiastically. "How about you?"

Rachel looked surprisingly bashful. "There's this guy in the office, Gavin. I think it could go places."

Monica looked pleased. She turned to Phoebe. "I'd ask about you, too, except you might want to tell us all together, if your news is in that area. So," she looked at Charlie, "you were asking if my breakdown was a result of the breakup." She spoke lightly, not sounding at all unhappy at the memory.

Charlie looked embarrassed. "If you'd rather not talk about it – "

"It all started when I was explaining what had happened to Gunther," Phoebe interposed quickly. "And Ross has told Charlie a lot, it seems, but not about this."

Ross looked sad. "I felt so guilty," he said, "guilty about how I'd always been the favourite."

"You shouldn't beat yourself up over that, Ross," said Monica seriously. "I am _all_ over that, I swear." She turned to Charlie. "You should know about it, if you're gonna be part of the family, and I'm quite happy to talk about it." She sat back, looking very relaxed. "To be honest, guys, looking back, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. If I'd spent much longer trying to suppress all these feelings of resentment and anger and regret that I had boiling up inside me and lose myself in working my ass off," she gave a theatrical shudder, "I think I'd have been in _real_ trouble. As it was, I got the therapy I needed before things had gone too far, and it has done me so much good."

"So, uh, what happened exactly?" said Gunther rather tentatively.

Monica frowned as if trying to remember. "I was cleaning the apartment" – she grinned – "like when wasn't I? And I suddenly had this thought, what the hell am I doing this for? It's a waste of time. No one cares. I drove away my best friend, I broke up with Chandler, my mother's mad at me, Ross is mad at me – " At this Ross made a noise of protest, but she shook her head at him. "You know you were, because I kept bad-mouthing Chandler to you. Joey had gone off to LA, and Phoebe, well, you were loyal, but you didn't come round very often – "

"I'm sorry," said Phoebe. "As soon as I heard, I was mad at myself."

"Don't be," said Monica quite firmly. "And I thought, here I am, the wrong side of thirty, and I have screwed up just about every relationship I cared about. I have lost control of all the most important parts of my life. And I just froze. Ross found me, kneeling there, with my cleaning stuff all round me."

"She kept saying, 'I've lost control, I've lost control', like she was just saying it to herself," said Ross. His face looked haunted. "She didn't even notice I'd come in at first. But then she seemed to realise I was there, and she threw herself at me and began crying all over me, babbling all kinds of stuff about how no one loved her, because she'd driven away all her friends, and she'd never have another relationship, and mom and dad loved me but not her ..." He drew a breath. "It was painful."

"I'm really sorry to have put you through all that, Ross," Monica said seriously. "It must have scared the hell out of you."

"I don't mind saying, yes, it did," said Ross. "Well, I managed to calm her down a bit and got her sitting on the couch with something to drink, but I had no idea what to do, so I simply called mom and dad. Mom didn't want to believe it was anything serious, but she did agree that they would come, though she sounded mad about it ..."

-----

Ross was never so glad to hear the buzzer in his life. Monica was not crying any more, but every now and then she would burst into a wild rant, mainly directed at herself and her life but taking in everything else, accusations against her parents, their friends, her work colleagues, her old lovers. As he had expected, their parents had arrived. He buzzed them in, and shortly Judy Geller walked in briskly without bothering to knock, followed by Jack.

"Now, Monica, what is this nonsense?" Judy began in her customary sharp tone.

"I can't do it any more, mom," Monica wailed. "I just can't do it." She sounded so lost that Ross felt a shiver down his spine. It seemed to affect Jack Geller too, for he came to an abrupt stop.

"What can't you do?" he said.

"I can't control my life," Monica faltered. "It's … everything's gone wrong."

"But who said you had to control your life?" he said in apparent surprise. "No one can expect to do that. Things happen."

Monica heaved a deep sigh and fixed a very intent gaze on her mother. "You expected it of me," she said slowly. "Always criticising, always nagging. For years I thought, if only I could show I had my life completely organised, you would approve of me – but even when things were going well, you never did." Her voice was measured but very sad, with that lost feeling about it, and Ross began to feel seriously worried.

Suddenly she broke down and started crying again. "This is what you've reduced me to," she stammered, "you and, and Chandler, and, and Rachel … all of you! A snivelling, friendless, useless _mess_ who can't control her life!" she almost shrieked, and threw herself down on the couch in a storm of tears.

Jack Geller turned to Judy. "I told you, you were putting on too much pressure," he said mournfully. "Especially when you could see how she was hurting over the breakup with Chandler, but refusing to let it show."

"I don't see why a little advice should have this effect," Judy replied tartly; but there was less certainty in her expression.

"A little!" Monica yelled, rearing up to glare at her. "It never stopped! And why did you bother, anyway? You only love Ross really, you know you do! I'm just someone to criticise, someone who's never good enough …" She dissolved into tears again.

Jack Geller turned to Ross with an air of decision. "Ross, call Dr. Weinberg at once and ask him about the best therapists available; I think Monica's going to need some professional attention. You'll have to explain the situation in some detail, I think."

Ross moved away to get on the phone, but as he did he saw their mother move, very hesitantly, towards Monica. "I _do_ love you, Monica," she said in a slightly shaky voice, holding out a hand tentatively. "You know I do, really …"

-----

"I began to get better at that moment, I think," said Monica. "To be told at last that mom really did love me … I needed that, very badly, even though I didn't show it at first, but kept breaking down and yelling stuff at her. I had a lot to get out. But I did finally calm down, and I agreed to go to this clinic that Ross had got word about from Dr. Weinberg."

"And that made you all better?" said Charlie.

"I'm still having therapy," said Monica. "You don't get rid of stuff like what was weighing me down just like that. But I certainly feel so much better now." She beamed at them. "I'm sure you can tell."

"So, is it still going well with your mom?" said Rachel.

"Oh yes," said Monica decisively. "We get along fine now. She told me, my making it so clear that I thought she didn't love me was quite a shock."

"Yeah," said Ross. "You should have seen her after our first visit to you, when she talked with your therapist. She was _really_ shaken. I guess she must have been told some home truths. Later, she lit into me for not telling them how unhappy you used to get."

"Poor Ross," said Monica, looking at him lovingly. "It seems like mom just has to be criticising someone. But my therapist showed me, it's the pattern she learned from her mother." She smiled reminiscently. "She worked wonders, my therapist." She grinned suddenly. "You may find this hard to believe, but she's cured me of my need to clean!" She broke into giggles, quickly joined by Rachel and Phoebe, while Ross chuckled deeply.

"Not that I'm a slob now," she said. "I just don't have this urge to clean everything obsessively every five minutes, and I don't need to have my apartment _just so_, down to the last detail. She showed me how it was all part of my need to feel that I was in control of my life, but that concentrating on inessentials like that was running away from my real problems." She heaved a sigh. "I feel so relaxed now, and when I look back I think how awful I must have been to live with! No wonder Chandler broke up with me."

"You did go overboard sometimes," said Rachel affectionately, taking her hand and patting it. "but I forgive you. I think, if we're being honest here, you were worse with Chandler."

"I know," said Monica ruefully. "I do hope he shows up, so I can say how sorry I am, just like I'm sorry for what I said to you that made you walk away."

"Well, I'm sorry too," said Rachel seriously, "sorry for what, looking back, I see as a prize example of my selfishness in those days. All I was concerned with, really, was my own gratification. If only Ross hadn't been such a good lover …"

Everyone burst out laughing, even Ross himself and Gunther. The demurely mischievous look with which she had said this was Rachel at her best.

Charlie slapped Ross on the knee, grinning vividly. "That's a view I can endorse!" She glanced at Rachel. "I'm glad you are over him, then. But Monica," her voice became serious again, "it's clear you once loved Chandler very much. Has all that gone, do you think?"

Monica sighed. "Yes, I did love him very much at one time, but, yes, it's all gone. The real problem" – she sighed again and looked round, her face very serious, "maybe the real problem was that I couldn't respect him enough, and that's why I kept getting mad at him."

"You said something about it being hard to respect him, in your great fight, but that was because he sucked up to his boss," Phoebe commented.

Monica pulled a face. "Yeah, I did, didn't I? No, what I mean is, we had all been together so long, and seen each other do all kinds of dumb things. I just knew Chandler too darned well, and I could never put my memories of his more ridiculous behaviour out of my mind. For instance, I saw him screw up one perfectly good relationship, with Kathy, out of sheer stupidity, it seemed like. I couldn't help thinking about that, you know – just sometimes, when I was worrying about where we were going – and there was all the stuff with Janice too, and how he couldn't be honest with her when it was finally over. It made me worry about whether he meant all that he said to me."

"He was used to accepting what you wanted a lot of the time, because it was your apartment," said Phoebe.

"Yeah," said Monica. "First he gave in to me way too much, which did not improve my respect for him, even though on the surface I was pleased to get my way, and then he got to sulking and wouldn't bring what he felt out into the open, until it was too late. For a long time the fun we had together masked the deeper problems, but I think we had fallen into a pattern of behaviour when we were friends that we couldn't seem to shake when we were lovers. I still had to help him to handle emotional things, like that time when we had a fight and to make up he proposed to me. I and my therapist think that, underneath, I didn't want to have to keep doing stuff like that, and it made me irritated with him. And I know I got sort of frustrated that he seemed to have no ambition; he just wanted things to go on the way they were."

"Yeah, that came out too," said Phoebe. "I remember."

"Well, he's doing great in his new job," said Ross. "I did tell you about that, didn't I?"

Monica nodded. "Uh-huh. You could say, our breakup was good for him too, because it drove him into getting off his big fat butt. But," suddenly she looked uneasy and rather vulnerable, "do you think he's forgiven me? Is he over me? Because I'm not interested in him that way any more, and it would be horrible if it turned out, he's still hung up on me. Do you know if he's dating?"

"He's never spoken of it," said Ross thoughtfully. "But he's not complained of the lack of women in his life either."

"We'll have to, like, _interrogate_ him," said Phoebe with relish.

"But nicely," said Monica warningly. "I still think of him as a friend, and remember all the good times we had when we were just friends."

Suddenly there was a commotion at the door, and Joey came running in. He grinned all over his face when he saw the group.

"We're not too late!" he cried. He turned his head and shouted, "Come on, you guys – they're all here."

"Guys?" said Rachel softly, raising her eyebrows. "I wonder who's with them."

Everyone had got to their feet, and Phoebe was already hugging Joey and banging him on the back, when Chandler appeared panting in the doorway, hand-in-hand with a woman that, after momentary disbelief, all except Charlie recognised very well.

Author's Endnote: I couldn't resist the cliffhanger. You're welcome to guess who this woman might be.


	6. Old Lovers Meet Again

Ch.6: Old Lovers Meet Again

Author's Note: Ha! I fooled you. (Does victory dance, probably a few steps of a Greek _zeimbekiko_, which might please Jennifer Aniston. I will come right out and say, I can dance a _great_ deal better than Chandler, but then just about anybody could, I think – not one of his talents).

Only one reviewer got the answer right, and two more thought of it as a possibility. No, I love Janice dearly, but she is definitely in Chandler's past now – as you will see.

The part of Kathy was played by Paget Brewster, and my description reflects a cheerful photograph of her that can be found in many image collections. (And in case anyone doesn't know, Charlie Wheeler was played by Aisha Tyler, an attractive Afro-American almost as tall as David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry).

Thanks again for all the splendid reviews.

-----

Although she had grown her hair to her shoulders and was wearinga very stylish cowboy-style hat, there was no mistaking the woman: it was Kathy. Phoebe was very keen to know how she had got back together with Chandler, which she evidently had, but there were more important things right now …

Monica and Rachel were now both hugging Joey, repeating his name and seeming to be crying a little. Phoebe held her arms wide for Chandler, beaming at him. He grinned back and walked into them, while Ross banged him on the back, smiling broadly and saying, "It's great to see you, dude!"

Phoebe felt surprisingly emotional as she hugged Chandler. It was really good to see him looking so well, not exactly lean, but fit, his face slightly bronzed and lacking the rather worried look that Phoebe remembered.

Then Ross moved to Joey and Rachel to Chandler, while Monica and Phoebe greeted Kathy. Phoebe noticed that Kathy looked surprised at being given a quite warm hug by Monica.

"Hey, Kathy!" Phoebe said, and Rachel echoed her, as they moved over to give Kathy the standard hug and air kiss in their turn.

And then everyone noticed that Monica and Chandler had not hugged or anything like it, but were looking at each other rather uncertainly. A silence fell. To Phoebe, they did not look hostile, but neither did they seem at all easy. She felt worried: this was where it might all go wrong.

"Hi Chandler," Monica said in a neutral voice. "You're looking good."

"Hi," he responded, equally neutrally, with a hesitant smile, "so are you." He looked around. "So are all of you, in fact. You guys remember Kathy?"

"Sure we do," said Phoebe, smiling at Kathy. "I guess you're dating again."

Chandler glanced at Monica and seemed to take courage from the fact that her face showed nothing but friendly interest.

"We sure are," he said emphatically.

"Well, let's hear all about it, then," said Rachel, smiling.

Chandler said, "Well, we met again in LA," sounding suddenly animated.

"It's all thanks to Joey," said Kathy eagerly. "We were on the same set for a TV show, just minor parts, you know, and" – she giggled – "he came on to me. He'd forgotten who I was, I think."

As Ross and others snickered, Joey grinned and made a throwaway gesture. "I was not expecting to see you there, that's why I didn't recognise you – and you changed your hairstyle, too. It was good to see someone I knew from the old days."

"So we got talking, and of course we talked about Chandler," said Kathy. "By then, I had quite got over being mad at him. In fact, I felt rather ashamed that I went off and slept with that actor just to get back at him. He deserved better than that."

"Well, I was worse, acting all immature and crazy jealous," said Chandler, smiling at her.

"Anyway, Joey told me about meeting her, and that she wasn't still mad at me, and would I like to see her again? And I had mainly good memories, so I said, sure,"

"And when we met at Joey's place, next time Chandler was visiting him, I found I was pleased to see him – " said Kathy.

"And I was _really_ pleased to see her," said Chandler eagerly. "So, we had a long talk and made up."

"It's very good to hear that you're back with Chandler, Kathy," Monica said a little shyly. "It makes me feel, he's in good hands."

"Thank you," said Kathy demurely.

Chandler smiled more relaxedly at Monica and seemed about to say something, but all this time Ross had looked eager to speak, and now he broke in.

"Guys," he said, looking particularly at Chandler and Joey, "I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Charlie Wheeler." He grinned. "She's another dinosaur freak."

"Wow!" said Joey, grinning warmly as he held out a hand to shake. "You're even hotter than Julie, the first dinosaur freak Ross dated."

"Joey!" cried Monica and Rachel in reproof, virtually simultaneously, in such a clear reminiscence of the past that Phoebe choked up and had to find a tissue.

"Some things never change," Chandler observed. "You know, I think I'd be disappointed if Joey ever changed."

"So would a lot of women in LA," Kathy observed slyly. "He's quite popular there, you know."

They all laughed, and began to sit down again, the newcomers finding more chairs.

"Don't worry, I know all about Julie," said Charlie, grinning vividly. "In fact, I first heard about what Ross was like as a person from her." She glanced at him rather mischievously. "But that was when she'd calmed down a bit."

"You met Julie?" said Joey, looking perplexed.

"Sure," said Charlie. "It was at a conference. That's when all we dinosaur freaks get together, you know." She flashed him another grin. "Ross was giving a paper, and I asked Julie if she knew what he was really like, because he was this big star, you know – "

"Hold it!" said Joey, looking more puzzled than ever. "Ross is a _star_?"

"In the dinosaur world, yeah," said Charlie patiently. "But of course, outside it, not a lot of people have heard of him."

"Oh, shoot!" said Rachel, seeming quite distressed. "And if you hadn't taken me to the hospital, Ross, you would have been on TV and been famous."

"But that was my fault, for running into you," said Monica.

"No," said Phoebe contritely, "it was mine, for suggesting all you guys at the diner went around on roller skates. But how was I to know you couldn't skate!"

"It doesn't matter, any of it," said Ross. "That's all in the past now. What matters is that I am well respected among my peers, and" – he grinned at Charlie – "that I have got engaged to the hottest of them all."

Chandler cocked an eye at Rachel, and seemed surprised to see that she was smiling. He leaned over and muttered, "You're okay with this?"

"Sure," she said breezily. "Our bonus night really was the end, you know. But I'm so sorry it led on to your breakup."

"If it hadn't been that, it would have been something else," he murmured. Then he noticed Gunther, who had been serving other customers, hovering by them.

"Gunther!" he said excitedly, beaming at him. "This really is like old times. I'll take a large regular. Kathy, what'll you have?"

While Kathy was interrogating Gunther about specials, Phoebe took the opportunity to murmur to Chandler that they had been bringing Gunther up to speed on his breakup with Monica.

"The poor guy just saw us disappearing, one after the other, and he cared," she said lightly. "He said, he liked having us around, though I guess what he really meant was, he liked having Rachel around. Anyway, it seemed only fair to, like, explain the mystery. And Charlie needs to know this stuff too. There's a lot Ross doesn't seem to have told her."

"Uh … how do I come out, in the explanation?" he said guardedly.

"Not too badly," she said, smiling at him. "I gave what I think was a, like, balanced account of the way you and Monica ended it. The last thing up was her breakdown, and she was telling us how that had happened."

His face took on an expression of alarm. "She had a breakdown?"

"Uh huh," Phoebe confirmed. "You didn't know? But it doesn't matter, because she seems fine now. One good result is that her relationship with her mom is a whole lot better."

Chandler grunted and nodded, but he still looked very unhappy. Monica had begun an animated conversation with Charlie, and he started trying to catch her attention. She noticed.

"Yes, Chandler?" she said, in a more obviously friendly voice.

"You, you had a breakdown," he stammered. "I never heard."

Joey smacked his forehead. "I _knew_ there was something I hadn't passed on. Sorry, dude." He looked at Chandler apologetically. "But all I heard was the bare fact, from Phoebe." He gazed earnestly at Monica. "You're okay now?"

"Pretty much," she said. "I'm still having therapy regularly, but I feel so much better." She grinned. "I've lost so many of my old hangups, you wouldn't recognise me."

Chandler was still looking extremely uneasy. "Was … was it …" he began, but then seemed to choke up as she looked at him, seriously but not severely.

"No, Chandler," she said in quite a gentle voice, "it wasn't just that, and, anyway, you shouldn't feel guilty about that, because I was more to blame for our breakup than you were, much more. I've been wanting to say sorry, so here it is: I'm sorry for those things I said." Her voice, so composed until this point, seemed just a little shaky. "I seem to remember saying at the time, I was mad." She pulled a face. "I was mad clear through, and when you're feeling like that, you say stuff just to hurt, you know?"

"I know," he said, his voice sounding warmer. "Well, you had some cause. Looking back, I can see that I was behaving rather jerkishly, and I'm sorry for that."

"But I really shouldn't have shut you out so much," she said earnestly. "But there it is – that was control-freak Monica at her worst. I tried to push it all aside, all the …" she paused for a moment and swallowed, "all the pain and, and regret, and lose myself in my work, but of course that wasn't the answer. I finally broke down when I got this feeling, quite suddenly, that I'd lost control of my life, that I'd let myself throw it all away, everything I cared about. It was … the most godawful feeling."

His face showed great sympathy. "But you're okay now?" he said, looking at her anxiously. "You are over it all?"

"Yeah, I am," she said, giving him her full smile. "I'm over it all." She emphasised the last word slightly.

"So, you don't … mind?" He gestured at Kathy in a helpless sort of way.

She shook her head. "I'm dating too," she said. "A guy called Don – he's in the food importing business. He and I have so much in common."

"How very appropriate," Chandler said, leaning back and suddenly looking and sounding much more relaxed. He seemed to think for a moment. "I'll just bet he likes those foreign cheeses you used to go on about."

Monica laughed, and several others smiled or snickered. "Yes," she said cheerfully, "he imports a lot of cheese. I tell you, I've put on weight since I met him!"

"But you're looking so good," Kathy protested. "I can't believe all that was like four years ago."

"I needed to put on weight," said Monica seriously. "I had gotten too thin. But I know, out there in Hollywood they're always putting on the pressure to be thin – are you getting that?"

"There's only a limited amount I can do," said Kathy, "and my agent has accepted that. But, yeah, I get a little pressure."

Monica nodded. "I hear you're enjoying your work," she said to Chandler.

He nodded excitedly. "Yes, that's something I guess I have to thank you for – you made me take a long look at my life and decide it really was time to find work that I would get some satisfaction and respect from." He smiled at her. "At the time, I didn't see it – I was, um, feeling rather bitter."

She looked sympathetic. "Understandable. I'm so sorry I put you through all that, but – maybe it showed us, before it was too late, that we weren't truly suited."

He sighed and nodded again. "I think we have to accept that. But I'd like it if we could be friends again."

"So would I," she said softly, her eyes bright. Suddenly her expression turned impish. "When we broke up – you didn't get in touch with Janice, did you?"

There was some subdued snickering, and Chandler nearly choked on his coffee. When he recovered it was obvious that he was trying to control laughter. "No way! Hey, you know what she muttered in my ear, when you had come up with that lie to get rid of her and we were saying goodbye?"

"No, what?" said Monica, leaning forward eagerly.

"She said, 'Call me when this goes in the pooper'!" Chandler said, finally giving up and breaking into a real roar of laughter right after the last word. All those who knew Janice of old joined in, Monica as loudly as any of them.

"I'm still surprised you didn't, though," said Phoebe. "I thought you were hard-wired for it."

Chandler shook his head, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. "No, that was really _all_ over, and her performance that night simply put the lid on it."

"You know, I ran into Janice, not long after I … walked out," said Rachel.

"Ooh, tell us, tell us!" said Phoebe excitedly. "Where?"

"It was at that manicure place, where I took Chandler and she showed up, and he had to go off toYemen to shake her," said Rachel. "I was feeling kind of blue, so I thought I'd treat myself. And you know what? If you'd called her, I doubt you'd have gotten a very encouraging reply."

"How's that?" said Joey, who like all of them, even Charlie, Kathy, and Gunther, was showing considerable interest.

"Well," said Rachel quite seriously, "she was pleased to see me, and she asked how the wedding plans were going, and I didn't want to go into it all, so I just said, fine, and she said, maybe I could pass on something to you, Chandler." Her lips twitched, as if she was trying not to grin.

"Which was?" said Chandler, raising his eyebrows and leaning forward in a parody of curiosity.

"She had to go to some clinic because she had adult acne," said Rachel, "and she met this guy. She was really excited about him, because he was so obviously hot for her, and they were now dating steadily. She was very serious about it. She even said, in that overjoky way of hers that was so irritating, that she could see a marriage on the horizon."

This was met with some fairly raucous expressions of derision and disbelief from Joey, Monica, and Chandler, although Ross simply smiled and shook his head.

"No, truly," Rachel said earnestly. "And I guessed the reason why, from something she said." She paused and looked at them, now grinning openly.

"Well, spit it out, girl!" said Charlie impatiently. "Don't keep us hanging!"

Rachel made a slight bursting noise as she tried to suppress a laugh. "The poor guy is really rather deaf!" She broke down into helpless giggles.

The burst of laughter that followed this revelation surpassed all previous ones.

"Oh man!" said Chandler, wiping his eyes again. "Still, it's good to know that Janice has someone who can appreciate the good side of her, and likely won't pick up on much of the bad."

Amid renewed chuckles and snickers, Monica, now looking even more relaxed and happy than before, turned to Joey. "So, Joey, how are things going? You getting good parts?"

Joey shrugged. "I don't do so badly, but I haven't hit the big time. I don't think I will, now."

"Oh Joey, that's too bad," said Rachel sympathetically.

"It's okay, Rach," said Joey quite cheerfully. "I can see, better than in New York, that there's a level I just can't reach. But I'm doing all right. I don't have to borrow from Chandler, anyway."

There was more laughter at this sally, even from Charlie, who had evidently been told all about Joey by Ross.

"And nobody puts any pressure on me to be thin," he added, "though if it looks like I've been eating too many subs and sandwiches and stuff, my agent does drop a comment. I go to the gym from time to time."

"Yeah, right," said Kathy with heavy irony. "When Chandler joins up with you, from what he says it sounds like you spend most of the time trying to date any good-looking chicks that show up."

There was further laughter, and Joey spread his hands, grinning broadly. "What do you expect? There's so many good-looking girls in Hollywood and all around there." He shook his head. "The only problem is, they're all trying to get into TV, or the movies, and they think, because I actually get parts, I have lots of influence."

"And I'll bet you don't tell them different!" cried Monica joyfully, leaning across to slap him on the knee. Phoebe felt a glow of pleasure at seeing how much Monica was getting out of this. It was worth any amount of therapy, she thought.

"I guess you'd be bound to run into actors you knew from New York," said Rachel. Her expression became mischievous. "Did you meet any more of your old dates?"

Joey's reaction was unexpected. He looked uneasy. "Well, yeah, I did, but, well …" He glanced at Phoebe, seeming embarrassed.

Phoebe knew what he was referring to. "It's okay, Joey," she said easily. "It's no big deal, though I haven't told anyone else yet. Ursula – my twin sister, who Joey dated for a short time," she explained to Charlie, "she went to LA. She did porn work, among other things, and she thought she could get better work in LA, and wouldn't have to be a waitress and like that."

"And did she?" said Monica, looking interested.

Phoebe shrugged. "It's hard to say. When she writes, which isn't often – "

"Hold on!" cried Chandler, looking very interested. "She writes you? Have you finally reconciled, then?"

"Is that your news?" Monica said at the same moment in an excited way.

"Well," Phoebe began slowly, but before she could go further, a rather loud British voice cried, "I don't _believe_ it! You're _all_ still here!"

They turned as one to see Emily standing just inside the door, grinning at them with a knowing look in her eye. "But I see the group has grown a bit," she added.

Ross drew an audible breath. His friends looked towards him with somewhat nervous anticipation: would Ross lose it? But all he did was to say, in a tone that suggested nothing more than weary forbearance, "Emily! _What_ are you doing here?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Finale

Author's Note: Well, here it is; this is The End. Thanks to all my loyal readers and especially my reviewers, whose compliments have been very uplifting (if any of you are checking out my other stuff, could you think of leaving me a review? I can always use them). I have put a lot into this, and it's gratifying to have it acknowledged. But I can't really claim special credit for the writing. I've been doing it all my life, and I _ought_ to be good at it by now, because, as my bio indicates, I am very much older than any of you (I only started watching Friends when I was older than Richard in Season 2). So why do I do it? Because though I don't identify with any of them I love them, flaws and all, in an avuncular way, and want them to be happy. If I could just drop in on Central Perk and set them right … but they'd only mess up some other way.

-----

Emily walked closer, and the other customers in Central Perk, whose attention had been attracted by her loud comment, turned back to their conversations.

"Well, I was over in New York, and I thought I'd drop by, just on spec," she said. Her eyes were fixed on Ross. "After all, we were married once, remember." To Phoebe, her tone seemed too deliberately casual.

"How could I forget?" said Ross bitterly. "That was some marriage, even though we never lived together. I got rid of all my stuff for you, and then I got thrown out of that apartment and had nowhere to live. You don't forget something like that in a hurry."

"I never wanted you evicted," said Emily rather stiffly. "That was entirely my cousin's doing. But you had the beautiful Rachel to console you, didn't you?" Her tone was light and ironical, but the glance she shot at Rachel showed considerable hostility.

Ross gaped at her, apparently too thrown by her total misreading of the situation to know where to start in answering her. But Rachel did not hesitate.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she said quite fiercely. "Ross and I weren't together."

"Oh, come on, Rachel," said Emily with an air of derision. "You were ready to go off on what was meant to be our honeymoon with him. You can't tell me nothing came of that."

"That's exactly what I _am_ telling you," Rachel said insistently. "You know perfectly well, he went running after you."

"Ah, but surely, once you were back in New York …" Emily said in a voice full of innuendo.

After a pause, Rachel said in a different, quieter voice, "I was Ross's friend. Even after we broke up the second time, we managed to stay friends. But we never became more than that again. This is the first time we've even met in quite a while."

"That's right," said Monica in a distinctly belligerent manner. "Ask any of us, and we'll tell you the same." Her eyes swept round the group commandingly, and Phoebe saw that the old Monica was back temporarily. Obviously, it would be totally inappropriate and unfair to Rachel to bring up complications like Vegas weddings and bonus nights, and Phoebe simply said, "Yeah, that's the truth," while others agreed in various ways..

Emily was clearly shaken. She sank into a chair at a table nearby, whose occupants had vacated it, evidently not wanting to overhear what might turn into a vicious fight at any moment.

"But, but … you _never_ got together again?" she said, looking between Ross and Rachel with an air of great incredulity. "When you didn't return my call, Ross, I thought you must be with her, for sure."

"Ah, that call," said Ross, seeming to seize an opportunity. "What was I supposed to make of that, on the night before you were going to marry someone else? Did you run away _before_ saying the words, this time?"

His gaze went to her hand meaningfully. The others looked, to see that her ring finger was bare.

"No, I went through with it," said Emily quietly. She sighed deeply. "It was one of the worst mistakes of my life. We divorced recently, and that's partly why I'm here, for a change of scene – and to see my uncle, of course."

"That's all?" said Charlie in a penetrating manner. "Or were you hoping that even after all this time there might be something left, that Ross hadn't completely gotten you out of his mind, as you clearly haven't gotten him out of yours?"

There were gasps and murmurs from several of the others. Emily flushed.

"And who are you, to ask me that?" she said frostily.

"Oh, permit me to introduce you," said Ross, smiling at Charlie. I bet he's relishing this chance to stick it to Emily, Phoebe thought. "This is Charlie Wheeler – my fiancée."

The blood left Emily's face as fast as it had appeared. "Oh," she said in a stunned voice, then, after a distinct pause in which they all watched her in silence, awaiting her reaction, "con-congratulations." Abruptly she got to her feet. "Look, I'd better go."

"No, stay," said Charlie commandingly. "You need closure. All the others have been explaining things and reconciling – why should you be left out?"

"Well, I can think of a good reason," said Joey, fixing an angry glance on Emily. "She tried to break us up."

Emily shook her head in apparent denial, but did not say anything.

"No, Joey, she deserves the chance," said Charlie calmly. She looked round them all. "None of you seems to have made the effort to see the whole thing from Emily's point of view. There she was, on the day that's supposed to be one of the best in a woman's life, having all her hopes for the future shot out from under her, publicly, by the strong suggestion that her husband-to-be wanted someone else more." Her gaze at Emily was sympathetic. "I would find that unbearably humiliating. Anyone might be forgiven for going a bit unbalanced after that."

Slowly Emily sat down again, her eyes fixed on Charlie.

"And then, when she thought she could forgive Ross for that," Charlie continued, in the same calm analytical voice, "to find him at the airport, actually going off with Rachel. That has to be one of the dumbest things you ever did, Ross – and Rachel, you can't deny that, underneath, you had some hope of getting him back."

Everyone turned to Rachel, who looked taken aback to find herself the centre of attention. She sighed and spread her hands. "Well … no," she said slowly. "I had realised I was in love with him still. I even told him so, when I got back from Athens. But I only had to say it, to realise how ridiculous I was being." She looked at Emily, without obvious hostility. "It was you he wanted then. I even told him to do whatever it took to save his marriage. I just didn't think that would mean cutting him off from all his friends – because that's what avoiding me would have meant. They weren't about to give me up, or him either."

"Hell no," said Joey fiercely, glaring at Emily.

"I never allowed for the strength of the bond between you all," said Emily. She was now looking steadily at Rachel, though her voice was a bit hesitant. "I … to be honest, I thought you would be pushed out, and I didn't care. I was feeling very bitter towards you."

"Understandable," said Charlie judiciously. "Vindictive, but understandable. But it's like Rachel says: she never made any real attempt to get Ross back, even after the final break with you. I think it could be said, that shows her in a better light."

Rachel sighed and shook her head as if recognising past folly, but when she next spoke to Emily her tone was one of simple curiosity. "Did you really come here, hoping to start again with Ross? I mean, it's been more than three years. And if you thought he was with me at the time of your second wedding, didn't you think we'd still be together now?"

Emily looked rather abashed. "I did know about that second time you got together, but very briefly. I thought … I sort of hoped … maybe you'd have broken up again. My second marriage started going wrong quite quickly, and that kept thoughts of Ross in my mind, because I kept thinking … how different it might have been with him." Her voice seemed to tremble very slightly with these last words. "So, when I was free, I just wondered … I know, it sounds stupid, looking at it now."

"Did your marriage go wrong _because_ you kept thinking of Ross?" said Chandler, with a certain edge to his voice.

"Oh no, no," said Emily quickly. She paused, then drew a breath. "There's no reason why you shouldn't know, really. In some ways it was … rather similar to the situation between Ross, Rachel and me, though in others it was different." Suddenly she began to sound very much in earnest. "Ross, I want to take this opportunity to say how sorry I am for what I put you through. Miss Wheeler, you have been very understanding – "

"Charlie, please," said Charlie, with a smile.

Emily smiled back very briefly. "Well, Charlie, you have got to the heart of what was driving me in those days." She looked around, and sighed. "I expect you people hated me for what I did then, so you may well consider what happened next poetic justice. Everyone could see, everyone but me, that we were both marrying on the rebound. Even my stepmother warned me. And if I never got Ross totally off my mind, Henry was worse. I found out, he was _constantly _ringing his ex, he made opportunities to see her – and she encouraged him, the bitch! It was a bit like that Princess Di thing: there were three of us in that marriage. But I was luckier than her – there were no children or anything, I could walk away. And when I found he was breaking the promise I got him to make, to stop all this contact with her, that was it: I jacked it in." She shook her head. "Knowing what I know now, I think Ross and Rachel would have behaved better than that."

Ross straightened up and his expression lightened, while Rachel looked embarrassed but rather pleased.

"I know I only made things worse by being ready to go to Athens with Ross," she said seriously, "but I felt so sorry for him. And, Charlie, of course you're right: underneath, I never quite gave up this dumb hope that somehow he might come back to me. So we're not so different, Emily, and I guess I should say sorry to you too. That British guy I talked to on the plane was right when he said no good would come of it. Why he said that was because I was planning to tell Ross that I was still in love with him, before the wedding," she explained. "But when I saw you two together, I just couldn't do it."

Emily smiled at her. "That was well done, even if it didn't stop things going wrong later." She sat back, seeming to relax a bit. "And I really ought to apologise to all of you for messing Ross up so; it must have made him very difficult to live with. But here you all are; you seem to have kept together, even if you don't live in each other's pockets any more."

"That's where you're wrong," said Phoebe firmly. "We haven't always been friends since that time. Things really fell apart later, because of something that started at your wedding."

Some of those present looked surprised, even disapproving that this should be mentioned to Emily when she did not need to know, but Monica simply nodded.

"Yes," she said, "Chandler and I got together then, and for a long time we were in a relationship."

"Wow!" said Emily, actually grinning. "You and Chandler? I'd never have thought – " But then she stopped and her face went serious again. "But it sounds as if you've broken up, which I'm sorry to hear."

"It certainly wasn't much fun," said Chandler in his old ironical way. "But now we've both gotten over it, and we can be friends again, can't we, Monica?"

"Yes," said Monica readily. "We worked best as friends, I think. When you were living with me and couldn't get away, my need to be in control of everything was bound to get irritating. Phoebe had the sense to get out before we had a major fight, but I'm lucky I didn't alienate you permanently, Rachel."

Rachel shrugged. "We had some pretty vicious fights, but we kept going."

"You were very close, weren't you?" said Emily. "I envy that. I was friends with my flatmates, but not like you."

"Criticising Rachel was like water off a duck's back," said Monica lightly. "With Chandler it was different, though for a long time he didn't show it."

"Hey, I think we've gone over the past long enough," said Rachel lightly. "We're all pretty happy now, aren't we? I have a new date and so do you, Ross is engaged, Chandler's back with Kathy – "

"Yes," Chandler broke in, "Emily, let me introduce you to Kathy. We dated once, but we broke up because I was so dumb and immature."

"I wasn't much better," said Kathy as she shook Emily's hand. "But things are different now."

"Yeah, living with Monica taught me some things," said Chandler, smiling at Monica. "When I met Kathy again, I felt much more confident."

"Though it was pure luck that we did meet again," said Kathy. "I had gone to LA, and Joey and I met on set."

"You went to LA?" said Emily to Joey. "Well, good for you. I suppose I don't need to ask if you've settled down with someone yet. I haven't seen any flying pigs." She looked at him mischievously.

The others chuckled, while Joey grinned, taking no offence. "But what about you, Phoebe?" Emily said. "I never heard, but I hope you had the babies okay."

"Oh yes," said Phoebe nonchalantly."All three were, like, safely delivered, and now Frank and Alice are working their asses off bringing them up."

"And has nothing else interesting happened in your life since?" Emily asked quite lightheartedly.

Before Phoebe could answer, Joey straightened up. "Hey, that reminds me. Phoebe called us all together because she had something important to tell us, and that has kinda got lost along the way. So what is it, Pheebs?"

"Hey, yeah, Joey's right," said Monica. "Is it about Ursula?"

"Or something else to do with your family?" said Rachel.

"Did you get a new job?" said Chandler.

"Or did you finally decide you believed in evolution?" said Ross teasingly. He was now looking totally relaxed.

Phoebe looked unprepared to be in the spotlight, but this did not stop her responding to Ross's sally vigorously.

"No, Ross, how could I ever fall for that crap?" she said. "And no, I didn't get a new job: I'm still working as a masseuse. But it does kinda have to do with Ursula."

"Tell us, then," said Monica, leaning forward eagerly, and the others did the same, full of anticipation. Even Charlie, Kathy and Emily seemed interested in the answer.

"Well," Phoebe began rather hesitantly, "it was, like, my thirtieth birthday, you know, and I got to thinking I should try to make it up with Ursula. So I went round to her apartment to wish her happy birthday."

"Was she doing porn again?" said Joey excitedly.

"No, Joey," said Phoebe patiently, "and it wouldn't have been important if she was. She told me no, we were thirty-one, and when I went like 'Huh?' she said she could prove it. Of course, I thought she was winding me up, like when she showed me this note that was supposedly from our mom, and I went away mad. But then I thought of going to our birth-mom, and she did some calculating and said yeah, that was right, we were thirty-one. So I'm a whole year older than I thought." She sat back, with an air of having said all that was necessary.

There was a stunned silence, broken by Chandler. "That's it?" he said. "The eagerly awaited revelation of the ages is that you're a year older than you thought?" He seemed to be trying not to laugh.

"This is important to me," Phoebe said insistently. "There's all kinds of things I meant to do before I was thirty-one."

There was further silence for a moment, and then Chandler bent forward, suddenly convulsed by laughter. The rest all joined in, even Emily. Phoebe protested with apparent indignation, "Hey, you guys! This really is important to me!" But it did not sound as if her heart was totally in it.

Charlie was one of the first to recover. "I'm sorry, Phoebe," she said, wiping her eyes, "but after all the serious stuff and the angst and so forth, that was the perfect anticlimax.." She shook her head, then, so fast it could easily have been missed, she winked at Phoebe. My God, she's a smart cookie, Phoebe thought. Ross is lucky to have landed her.

"Yeah, it was a good gag," said Ross, who had been looking thoughtful. "Just what we needed to release all the tensions. But it's not the whole truth, is it, Pheebs? You wouldn't put Joey to all the effort and expense of flying over from LA just to tell him that."

Phoebe produced a sly grin. "You got me. No, I just wanted to see whether you would swallow it. No, my real news is, David has come back from Minsk, and we're together, like, permanently – "

"Hey, Pheebs, that's great," Joey cried, and others echoed him.

"That's so romantic," Rachel sighed.

"Will you get married?" Monica asked, looking very interested.

Phoebe shook her head. "Neither of us has the money to pay for that stuff, and anyway I don't believe in it much. And there's more." She smiled around at them all, a little shyly. "I'm pregnant."

There was an outburst of congratulations and good wishes.

"Only two months gone," she said in answer to Monica's eager question, "but I thought it was time I told you guys. But, Ross, even if I called you together just to tell you my real age, it would have been worth it. Otherwise, we'd have gone on in our little boxes, you seeing Monica, and Monica seeing Rachel and sometimes me, and Chandler seeing Joey, and Joey sometimes seeing me … Don't you understand, you guys? We belong _together_." She looked around challengingly. "Okay, you've all moved on, and things can't be the same, but that's no reason why we can't meet when we have the chance. Now you're all here, and you've all said sorry and forgiven each other, and we can all see that everyone's doing okay. But I have to say, Emily showing up was kind of a bonus and none of my doing."

"Are you sure, Phoebe?" said Emily teasingly. She now seemed in quite a lighthearted mood. "Maybe your powers extend beyond seeing auras, and your concentration on getting them all together sent out a mystic summons that brought me here willy-nilly."

This caused some amusement, to Emily's obvious gratification.

"Well, it's true, I was a witch in a previous life," said Phoebe, with an air of modesty about past achievements. "Anyway, this has been good for you too, obviously."

"Oh, very," said Emily enthusiastically. "It has done me so much good to apologise, and it's made me see that I must move on from Ross, once and for all – sorry, Ross."

"Nothing to be sorry about," said Ross relaxedly. "I'm happy if you can take it that easily." It was plain that he took pride in having had such a prolonged effect on Emily.

"It was past time," said Emily. She looked around, suddenly appearing a little apprehensive. "Look, I, er, I don't know how you're going to take this, and of course you're under no obligation, but … well, I'd like to invite you to have dinner with me, all of you, Charlie and Kathy included. It can be a way to show how sorry I feel about the past."

"Can you afford that, Emily?" said Ross, sounding concerned. "I have my apology, and I'm quite satisfied with it. I don't need a meal as well."

"Oh, but … just for old times' sake, Ross?" she said pleadingly. "I'll understand if you have other plans, or just say no, but … I'd like to know more about your lives over the last years. I always found you such an interesting group. And as for the cost, don't worry about that. I came into a bit of money when a great-aunt died, and I'm using some of it to travel around."

"You should come over to LA," said Joey in a cheerful way. Plainly, the offer of food along with the apology had effectively overcome his hostility towards her.

"Well, I might," said Emily. "But what I really want to see are places like Dodge City and Santa Fé and Tombstone. I'm a sucker for the old West." She giggled in self-deprecation.

"Then you should definitely hit California," said Kathy. "There's still a lot of stuff to be seen from the Gold Rush days."

"Great!" said Emily with maximum enthusiasm.

"Why don't you get a coffee or something, and we can talk about where we're gonna eat," said Phoebe. "It has to be some place where you can get vegetarian food."

Emily beamed. "Sure. I like good vegetarian food myself."

Joey pulled a face. "That is so not my style."

"Aw, come on, Joe," said Rachel wheedlingly. "You don't have to eat it. I'm in, by the way." She said it casually, but her glance at Emily and a slight inclination of the head showed that, as far as she was concerned, the past was now a closed book. Emily nodded back, looking pleased.

"I think we should accept this in the spirit in which it is offered," said Charlie to Ross in a rather determined way.

"Sure, sure," he said easily.

"Let's do it," said Kathy to Chandler quite eagerly. "I want to do some catching up today."

"And so do I," said Monica, her eyes fixed on Chandler. "I want to hear all about your job, Chandler."

Chandler looked gratified. "Sounds like a plan. Thank you, Emily, we shall be pleased to accept your kind invitation." He put on a fruity British accent, evidently attempting to sound like Emily's father.

She shrieked with laughter. "That's my father to the life! So, what are you doing these days, Chandler? Still bashing in the numbers?"

A hubbub of conversation broke out. Obviously, once everyone had accepted Emily's invitation, they were in no hurry to settle the details. Gunther came and took more orders, and looked pleased when Emily remembered him.

Phoebe felt she could not stop smiling. She loved them all so, and for all her forebodings her plan had worked out well. She noticed Charlie trying to catch her eye.

When she turned, Charlie leaned forward. "Good work," she said in a low voice.

Phoebe felt justified and proud, but there was one more thing. "Guys," she said loudly, "I think it would be good if we, like, hugged, the way we used to do."

"Great idea," cried Joey, jumping to his feet. The others all rose too, smiling at each other. After a little manoeuvring – the furniture was something of an obstacle – they managed to get into a hugging group, with Chandler and Joey at the centre, while Charlie, Kathy and Emily watched, all beaming at this embodiment of a friendship that they recognised to be something very special.


End file.
